o hard to do. Suppose he thinks
it is my work--suppose David goes and accuses me of having broken it to
escape himself."

Tom stood aghast at the idea, and was for rushing across at once, but
something seemed to hold him back, and a good half-hour passed before he
fully strung himself up to go.

Then, closing and locking the door, he did the same by the gate; and
now, pale and firm enough, he hung up the keys, and then went straight
to the study door, paused for a few moments to think what to say first,
and then walked straight in.

"Uncle, I've come to give you very bad news," he said in a husky voice,
and then he stopped short.

There was no one in the room, and on going out into the hall, he found
that his uncle's hat and stick were missing, and consequently he must
have gone down the village to post his letters, and perhaps drop in at
the Vicarage on his return.

"Oh, how tiresome!" thought Tom; "just too when I felt I could tell him.
Now I must begin all over again."

It was not until nearly two o'clock that Uncle Richard returned, looking
very serious; and as they went into the little dining-room alone, Mrs
Fidler having stopped back to give some orders respecting the dinner,
Tom screwed himself up to make the announcement, which would have come
easily enough if it had not been for David's charge, and a shrinking
feeling which it had engendered, that Uncle Richard might fancy the same
thing. But at last the boy, in his consciousness of innocence, was
ready to speak, and turned to him.

"Uncle," he said quickly, "I want to say something to you about the
speculum."

"Not now, my boy; I have something else to think about. Let that rest."

Tom's lips parted, and he drew a deep breath of relief at what seemed to
him to be a reprieve. Then Mrs Fidler entered the room, and dinner
commenced, with Uncle Richard looking very thoughtful.

It was impossible to say anything before Mrs Fidler, Tom thought, for
if he was to be in any way blamed, he determined that it should be when
alone. In addition, he felt that he should not like to speak of David's
delinquency before the housekeeper.

It was a delicious dinner, but poor Mrs Fidler soon began to look
troubled, for her master got on very badly; and Tom, who had felt as if
his plate had been filled with bitter sand, so hard was the task of
eating, refused a second help!

This was too much for Mrs Fidler, who looked piteously from one to the
other, and excla